Sea Eagles fringe forward Bullemor touted for Maroons Origin gig
He might be on the periphery of a Manly side chock-full of back-row talent, but Blacktown Workers edge forward Kenny Soumpholphakdy believes Ethan Bullemor would not let Queensland down.
Nobody is questioning the selection of the star-studded young Maroons outfit which secured a thrilling 16-10 win over New South Wales in Origin I at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.
But Bullemor – a Queensland under-20 representative – has been a highly valued member of the Sea Eagles’ 30-man squad, despite only playing seven NRL games this year.
Unable to break into Manly’s matchday squad for its big win over the Warriors last Saturday night, the 22-year-old was brilliant in Blacktown’s 22-16 win over the fifth-placed North Sydney at Brookvale.
He scored two tries and ran for 135m, also coming up with 29 tackles in a win that moved Blacktown up one spot from the bottom of the NSW Cup ladder.
Soumpholphakdy – 19th man against the Bears but named to start against Western Suburbs in Round 14 action at Campbelltown on Sunday – was highly impressed with Bullemor’s performance last weekend.
“It was a real nice performance. It was good to see him back,” Soumpholphakdy told BettingSite.com.au.
“He hasn’t been playing much lately. He hasn’t been getting much of a crack after being in the extended squad with them (Manly).
“Hopefully (he can play for Queensland in the next few years). He’s still young and he’s got the potential. It’d be nice to see.”
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Soumpholphakdy said the belief was high going into the clash against the Bears, despite Blacktown being last on the ladder before the clash against the Sea Eagles’ old foes.
The home side was boosted by NRL stars Jorge Taufua, Kurt De Luis, Taniela Paseka and Bullemor joining regular hooker James Segeyaro, who has 154 games of first-grade experience.
The backrower said patience was the key with the Sea Eagles’ fringe players running around in the NSW Cup because it is such a young group.
“It was a nice win. The Bears have been going well, so it was good for the boys to get a win,” he said.
“In games past we’ve been good here and there, but in this game we put a good 80-minute performance together.
“I’ve been at Blacktown for a few years now.
“It is a good system, and I’m one of the older boys there now.”
